The Key of My Worries
by AzulRain
Summary: Toris has been looking for the answer for three years. The answer to what? Answer to the secret note his mother left in a special book of his, soon after her untimely demise. The basement is the last place he can think of to hope to find it, but he has a strong, irrational fear of going into basements; he resolves this by bringing his best (if not only) friend, Feliks.
1. Chapter 1

Toris shut his eyes as gently as a feather's drop, exhaling quietly, his breath rattling in an unsettled manner in his throat. It had been three years since the passing of his late mother. A worn, small piece of paper was gripped in his long, thin fingers, and sighing in a comforted manner, he read it once again,

" _Toris, I love you."_

Those were the last bits of the letter his mother had sent to him when she was overseas. She had been an old-fashioned lady, and repeatedly mentioned how writing letters felt more sincere, and that she enjoyed it more anyhow. Toris glanced at the picture of them on his wooden nightstand, warmth enveloping his chest. Those green eyes, bright, and sparkling with light, mixed with the creamy locks of her hair. Her face was a memorable one; she was a cheerful woman who wasn't easily forgotten.

She had perished soon after his parents had gotten back from that overseas vacation, and he didn't find out until a week afterwards; his school had a week-long field trip, which was a rare occasion, so he had jumped at the opportunity. If only he hadn't gone, maybe he could have said goodbye to his mother . . . but it was too late for that now. Toris slipped off his bed and took a book from his shelf, one that was a dark maroon with golden designs, giving it a medieval and somewhat magical look.

His mother had left a key in it for him. A note attached read, " _I have a little game for you, but you can't tell anyone else, promise? Let's play hide and seek. This key unlocks something very special for me, and you can only open it with this key. If you win the game, you'll find the object and receive my gift. I knew that my time was coming; I've been very sick lately, but I have insisted on working this frail body to its limits. I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you earlier, my dearest, but there was never a good time." ~Your mother, Dalia._

For three years, he had searched every nook and cranny of the house when he was alone, which wasn't very hard to do, as his father didn't spend much time at home, since he was busy at work. Toris was still quite cautious nonetheless; his father wasn't . . . a very kind man. Not recently. There was a time where Toris remembered the three of them as a perfectly happy family, living like any ideal family. However, the company his father worked for had started plummeting, and as time passed, his father had started staying up later and later, getting more stressed. He had begun to easily snap, and that led to some things that Toris didn't wish to discuss, but his battered back reminded him of it every time he changed. _Moving on from that, we shall now begin the first day of our Basement Adventures! Yay!_

At that, Toris audibly laughed, his shoulders shaking. That sounded so childish in his mind. Why did his mom called it hide and seek anyways? It wasn't as if he was a child anymore. He had already been 18 when he got that key, which was just after she had expired.

Toris opened the door to the attack carefully, earning a loud creak. The noise sent shivers down his back. He didn't know why, but he had always hated going down there alone.

 **RING~!** Toris' phone began blasting his ringtone. Startled and a little shaken, he rushed to pick it up, the Caller ID revealing itself as Feliks. "Sveiki."

"Cześć! And you don't need to be so formal with me, Toris, I'm, like, your only friend."

"Ah . . . Sorry. Anyways, why did you call?" Toris turned to changing the subject, his clipped nails scratching at his itching back.

"I'm, like, really bored, and I wanna do something, so can I come over?" Feliks whined, a thing he did frequently.

"Feliks, can you hang out with someone else today? I'm awfully sorry, but I have something important I need to do today." Toris felt his heart chill in fear, manifesting into his mind, breeding into chaotic feelings that caused his entire body to shake, his body unsteady.

"Aww, but Tori, you're, like, my only friend." Feliks protested, unaware of Toris' predicament.

 _Why not let him? Aren't you scared of the basement? Wouldn't it be better to go with someone?_ "Aren't you friends with Feliciano?"

"Yeah, but like, you're my #1 friend! And besides, he always hangs out with that weird German guy, and he's way too serious, and totally not fun to be around."

"Haha, thanks, I . . . Alright, if you insist, you can come over. But you'll have to help me clean out my basement." Toris gave in easily, trying to keep his voice steady so he didn't lose face. He didn't want to make Feliks noticed he was afraid.

"Yay, I knew you'd give in easily, lol! I'll walk over, I'm at a nearby Starbucks. Do you, like, want anything?"

"Ah, no, no, I'm good, but thanks for offering." Toris beamed. Though his friend could be unbearably obnoxious, at least his cheerful and annoying air could allow him to let go of his fears a little.

"Okay, see you soon!" Feliks hung up.

"Get over this before he gets here . . ." Toris muttered to himself, sliding down to his knees.

The swirling, screaming, hazy mess of it all overtook his very body. His breath grew shaky, his arms gripping each other's sides to try to calm himself down. It always terrified him, as if some dark monster was down there, biding its time, planning to unleash itself upon him. He closed his eyes, but that only made matters worse. Dark coils of panic began to twist around his neck, choking him, his breath intaking sharply.

The doorbell rang, snapping him out of his nightmare.(daymare?) Toris fast walked to the door and opened it, smiling, "Hello, Feliks."

"Hey hey, Tori~! How are you?" Feliks showed up wearing a long skirt to compliment his white shirt.

"Ah, um, I'm good." Toris shoved down his fears to put on a smile.

"Oh, yay, that's like, good and stuff. Ready to go down?" Feliks sipped through his straw loudly, finishing off the frappuccino in his cup.

"Shouldn't you change . . . ? A skirt isn't really convenient for this kind of thing, you know . . ."

"Oh, okay." Feliks began pulling down his skirt.

"W-W-W-Wait! Don't change in front of me! There's a bathroom!" Toris tried to cover his eyes.

"What, you thought I'd just change in front of you?" Feliks had apparently had pants under the skirt. "Oh, that's naughty and dirty thinking, Tori." Feliks stuck out his tongue and waved his finger in a 'no' gesture.

"No, I just thought . . . Never mind, it's fine. You can throw away your drink in the trash, and then we should really start. Before my dad gets home. He's unpredictable, so I don't know _when_ he'll be home."

Feliks nodded and walked into our kitchen, tossing the cup into the trash. Stretching with a slightly tired yawn, Feliks walked back Toris' way, linking arms with him. Toris didn't say anything, not wanting to appear flustered, and, opening the creaking, old door, descended into the dark basement.


	2. Chapter 2

Toris grabbed the stair railing quickly, almost losing his footing. Taking in a shaky breath, he stiffly walked down each stair slowly. Feliks raised an eyebrow.

"Tori, why are you acting so weird? I'm, like, oblivious and stuff, but even I can te-"

"I-It's nothing! It's . . . nothing. It's fine. Just . . . keep going."

"You're not fine, so stop lying. I don't like lying."

"I. Am. Not. Lying. Just . . . drop it, okay?" Toris rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable about letting Feliks see this side of him.

"If you're so scared, then I'll just go first and drag you along!" Feliks huffed, going around him and grabbing his arm.

Feliks stepped out onto the floor moments later, checking back on Toris. "Are you . . . scared of basements or something? Because you were acting normally enough until we got here." Toris turned his head, embarrassed, and Feliks smirked. "Wow. Okay, well, maybe you'll be a bit less scared once I turn on the light."

Feliks flicked on the light, and illuminated the whole place. It had a musty but warm and familiar smell. A huge bookcase took up the entire left wall, lined with books in alphabetical order, all different colors and lengths. Cobwebs were tucked in the corners, and the floorboards groaned a little every time pressure was put on them. Old furniture was stacked up, cotton spewing out of their holes. The light was a little unstable, blinking, indicating that the lightbulb needed to be changed soon.

Little toys littered the floor all over the place. A long row of costumes were hung on a beam, and Feliks seemed delighted by that. Somehow, though the space was fairly large, Toris began to feel claustrophobic, and gripped the sides of his arms. Feliks pulled one of his hands away and took it, saying, "You're such a pussy. Will it help if I held your hand?"

"I . . . yes." Toris tried for a smile.

"Oh my God, but Tori, we should try out some of these costumes! They're so nice!"

"Maybe later?"

"Why did we come down here to clean out your basement if you're scared of them?" Feliks raised an eyebrow.

"I just felt like it should be done."

"Whose costumes are these? They're certainly not yours."

"My . . . mother's." Toris could feel her hand caressing his cheek, offering him her sweet smile.

"Oh, what does she look like? I've actually never seen her around, only your dad. Does she have a job that demands, like, a lot of time?" Feliks was admiring the high-quality material of one of her best dresses.

"Ah, that's . . ." Toris went silent, and his mind's doors closed.

"Hm?" Feliks pressed for a response.

". . . She passed away three years ago. She was very sickly." Toris sat on a rickety old bed with a resigned sigh, which creaked under him.

"Oh . . . I'm sorry." Feliks sat next to him.

"You know . . . it's funny. My mom never told me she was ill so I wouldn't worry about her. My father, who's generally an honest man, waited until after she had already gone to tell me. Yet, she always tried to be physical, always wanted to go on trips, always wanted to see the world . . . Why would she do it? If she hadn't forced herself so much, then . . . she could have lived longer. Sure, she wouldn't get to do everything she wanted, but . . . maybe the fact that she overexerted herself is the reason she . . ."

"Ah . . . no, I think I understand why." For once, Feliks voice had taken a serious tone, and he didn't add the annoying 'valley girl' enhancements. "She wanted to live her life to its fullest. She desired to do everything any other person could do, everything she had wished for. If I know you, and your father, I can already tell that your passion comes from your mother. Your dad's just a quiet wimp." Toris opened his mouth to protest against the insult against his father, (despite the situation, he still loved him) but Feliks continued, "The fire burning in your eyes when you start something you're excited for, or when you speak up for what you believe, I can see a flame dancing in your eyes. I bet that's hers."

"Hah, I . . . I guess you're right." Toris smiled softly, a bit of comfort spreading through his entire being, flowing out smoothly through the tips of his fingers, the ends of his toes.

Feliks stared into his eyes, remarking, "Mm, I knew it, there is an inferno. An emerald one. Right now it's burning steadily."

"Okay, okay, enough talk about my eyes. Since when were you so poetic?" Toris cachinnated, the strands of hair reaching his shoulders bouncing as he laughed.

"I dunno, I just kinda thought it looked like a blaze." Feliks took down a dress. "Can I try it on?"

"Yeah, sure, it's not like anyone else is going to wear it."

Feliks went into the bathroom, and took his sweet time with whatever the Hell he was doing. After a while, he came out wearing the said dress; a red headband adorned his head, and his eyelashes were made obvious by dark mascara. His luscious lips stood out with bright scarlet lipstick applied onto them. The dress itself was a dark magenta, with a high waist cut that wrapped around tightly. The skirt was slightly flared, but paled in comparison to those you would find in fairy tales. The sleeves were little layers on his shoulders, but did not extend past them. He genuinely appeared as a girl with this getup, but either way, girl or not, Toris felt the blood rush to his face.

Feliks cleared his throat gently. "How . . . does it look?"

"I . . ." Toris was speechless. Then, hitting himself to gather his bearings, he said, "Great! You look really great! You're really good with makeup and things like that, and you know how to use them to your advantage-"

A petite smile crossed Feliks' face. "Why, thank you." He sat down, clearly pleased with himself.

"If you like it so much, you can go ahead and have it." Toris offered.

Feliks' eyes widened and his head whipped towards Toris. "Seriously!? You'll let me!? But . . . isn't this your mom's . . . ?"

"Ah, better you use it than I leave it down here, collecting dust. I think my mom would have been fine with me giving it to a close friend of mine."

"Thank you!^^" Feliks' cheeks dusted with a bright, scarlet blush, and he looked happy as a clam.

"We should probably _actually_ start now. Oh, can you sleep over?"

"Oh, I should ask my parents, but probably~!"

"Then you should do that. I hope that they say yes."

"Okay, I'll go get the phone." Feliks started going up the stars, but-

"W-Wait! Um, can I . . . Can I go up with you?"

"Hm, why-Oh, right. Alright, come on." Feliks grabbed Toris' hand and they marched up the stairs in a strangely soldierly fashion.

/Thank you for reading this chapter! I'm so happy that you came by. If you would like to continue to read this story, please follow or favorite. Reviews are definitely appreciated for my mistakes, for what I can improve and work on, for suggestions,(which I will credit you for if I use it) or whatever you want to say. Updates will most likely be every Friday, and if there will be a delay, I will mention it. Once again, thank you for reading this! ~Azul


	3. Chapter 3

"Hmmhmm, yes, mom, I know, I know, I'll make sure to get it all done. Yeah, yeah, love you too, bye." Feliks hung up on the phone with his mother, and set it down on the granite counter, smooth with the black and white designs. Toris had previously gotten himself water with ice to clear his mind, and refresh him. If he was his mom, where would he hide something important? First of all, he wouldn't hide it in the basement, but since that was his only option, he had to think of the separate areas in there. Toris tapped his fingers on the three-legged table next to him, one of which had the design of a rue flower under a glass top.

"Tori, mom said it was fine." Feliks chimed happily, making his way over to him while holding up the ruffley skirt of his dress.

"Ah, that's good, then. I have some spare blankets, and I have a sleeping bag, so I can sleep on the floor while you sleep in my bed." Toris motioned him toward the stairwell. It was time to go back down.

"Toris, you're too dedicated, y'know? Why can't we just relax?" Feliks complained, but nonetheless, he went and took Toris' hand, pulling them down the stairs.

". . . Because . . . I'm not just cleaning out my closet."

"You're not?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"My mother . . . she left me something." Toris fished the key out of his pocket and placed it in Feliks' right hand.

Feliks allowed himself to read the fancy, slanted scrawl, his eyebrows raised so high they threatened to come off his face. "Oh my God, Tori, do you know what this means!?"

"Er . . . what does it mean?"

"Your mom is like, supernatural or some shit! She knew she was going to die, and she left you some magic gift! This is like, really, really cool, I wish my mom was half as awesome!" Feliks paused after saying that, then contradicted himself by saying, "Never mind, my mom's still really great, but Toris, even you have to admit this is really awesome!"

"I never thought of it in that way, I've just always wanted to know what she was leaving me. She died and left me with so many questions, and . . . maybe if I find her 'mysterious gift,' I'll get something answered. And because she wanted me to. I miss her, so, so much . . . I still can't believe she's gone." Toris' lip quivered a little, but he clapped his hands together to snap himself out of it and said promptly, "So let's get cleaning!" His voice rang out with determination.

Feliks insisted that the item must be under the floorboards constantly, but Toris always replied, "Feliks, we're not in a story. That's way too romantic to be reality."

They picked up cushions from couches. They looked among the toys to see if anything was out of the ordinary. They shoved their hands down the pockets of the costumes, trying to find anything, a clue, something to hint at where it could be. Toris realized how much more efficient it was with two people. They had the whole weekend, since Feliks had considerably nice parents that let him forge his own path and do what he wanted, so long as he notified them prior to the action. Toris kind of longed for that amount of freedom. Feliks was so lucky.

Toris shook his head. He had a fair amount of leeway, since his father wasn't around much in the first place. Besides, being envious didn't lead to anything good. There's a reason why it's one of the seven deadly sins. "Why have we been avoiding the drawers? Is there any good reason?" Feliks glanced at the drawers longingly, thinking it would be there.

"Wouldn't that be too obvious?" Toris pointed out.

"It doesn't hurt to try!" Feliks ran over to the drawers in a desk, nearly tripping over his attire, pulled them open, his eyes frisking the insides. "Well . . . I guess that hurt my pride. Just a bit. They're almost completely empty. Nothing but little pieces of paper. Why is she making this so hard!?"

"So that my dad couldn't find it?"

"When is your dad ever home to find it? He doesn't even know about it-"

"But he might find it on accident."

"Hmm, that's true. It's hot down here, ugh . . ." Feliks sat in front of an air vent, letting it blow his blond locks.

Toris paced around, checking all the likely places. Where could it be!? "You've already checked all those places." Feliks pointed out in a bored voice.

"Soon, I think we're going to need to think about some more places. I'll do research on good hiding spots. Let's get back up, this place still creeps me out." Feliks rushed up the stairs, not waiting for a response. It's not like Feliks was scared of the basement.

"Ugh, Toris, you're such a scaredy-cat." Feliks exited the basement door calmly, following Toris to their room.

"Let's hope that the Internet helps me, for once." Toris groaned, powering on his computer.

/So, where do you think the 'treasure' is hidden? Thank you for reading this chapter! I'm so happy that you came by. I'm sorry there's even less than last time, we have exams coming up, and I haven't had much time to work on this! I promise I'll improve the length and quality of future chapters. If you are willing to support this story, please follow or favorite, it's greatly appreciated. Reviews are definitely appreciated for my mistakes, for what I can improve and work on, for suggestions,(which I will credit you for if I use it) or whatever you want to say. Updates will most likely be every Friday, in the United States, and if there will be a delay, I will mention it. Once again, thank you for reading this! ~Azul


	4. Chapter 4

"So, any luck, Tori?" Feliks seemed as if he was feeling 'pretty'; he looked that way as well.

"Hmm . . . Well, a couple of suggestions. I'll read them to you." Toris spun his spindly chair so that he faced Feliks.

"Go ahead." Feliks boredly rested his hand on his cheek.

"Lots of suggestions. Some of them are worth checking. Drawers is a suggestion, but that would be too easy, and even so, we already searched them. Lamps are also a suggestion, but there are none in the basement, and who hies valuables under them? Hollowed out hard covers or VHS could be a thing, but we don't have a lot of those either . . . ugh . . ." Toris droned on, spitting out useless suggestions, and mostly just expressing how much those suggestions wouldn't work out.

Suddenly, something floated up to Feliks' mind as Toris spoke. Where would he hide something? "Air vents? Don't think my mom would be so careless . . ."

Feliks' attention was captured. "Air vents! Toris, we have to check! There are a lot on the basement, surely it's at least worth a look!"

Toris considered this, chewing on his lip absentmindedly. "If that's the case, it wouldn't be venting out air. The item would block the the air flow. Well, it's not as if I have anything to lose by doing that. I'll go get a screwdriver in case you're right." He trudged over to the kitchen, getting the screwdriver from a drawer under his clean, white sink.

As if this was a regular custom, the two plodded down the steps to the basement, holding hands. "Spread out. Test the air coming from the vents. If there's no air, or the air is blocked, then let me know."

Feliks smirked and saluted. "Aye aye, Captain Laurinitis!"

The two began to investigate the air vents. Toris wasn't surprised as his first one bore no fruit, though Feliks already seemed disappointed when his was normal as ever. Number three was bursting with air, and number four wasn't as powerful, so, excited, Feliks called out, "Toris, Toris, I think I got it!"

"So easily? Wow. Let's see, then." Toris unscrewed the bolts, pulling the vent off. He looked inside, pushing his arm in there and moving it around, grabbing for anything it reached, but all that resulted in was a dust-covered arm. "Ehhh, I don't think so."

"Aww . . ." Feliks hung his head, a little disheartened at this.

"Don't worry, it was still a nice idea." Toris turned tail, sauntering up the stairs.

Feliks reached forward and seized his hand. "Young man, where do you think you're going? I don't think we've covered every air vent, now have we?"

"But I don't think-"

"Let's check anyways, you big ol' scaredy-cat. This is your treasure, not mine, so why do I have to remind you about it?"

"I . . . Yes, right. Sorry." Toris went back down into the basement and the duet examined the rest of the vents.

The one before last had no air coming from it at all. Toris, with shaking hands, and a stirring, unnatural exhilaration began thrumming at his heart and coursing through his veins. He felt like this was the moment. The thing he had been searching for for three full years. The countless hours of wondering when he would finally find his mom's valuable item.

. . . It was now. Loosening the screws, his breath shaky with an enlivened spirit, he removed the plate, and detected an object within the dark space. Extending his long, thin fingers, he clutched the article, tugging it out of the interior of the air vent. He plopped it onto his lap to see that it was . . .

. . . A diary!?

/ hank you for reading this chapter! Once again, sorry it's so short, we had exams this week and I didn't have much time before the deadline!;; I'm so happy that you came by. If you are willing to support this story, please follow or favorite, it's greatly appreciated. Reviews are definitely appreciated for my mistakes, for what I can improve and work on, for suggestions,(which I will credit you for if I use it) or whatever you want to say. Updates will most likely be every Friday, in the United States, and if there will be a delay, I will mention it. Once again, thank you for reading this! ~Azul


	5. Chapter 5

Toris was in a state of confusion. All of this searching . . . and all he had found was a diary? There wasn't anything special about that, except for maybe her stupid high school crushes. Toris knew that he should be grateful to have something from his mom, but if it was a diary, couldn't she have just given it to him? Toris shook his head. There had to be something special to her about it or in there if she had hidden it. Dalia was a thinker; she wouldn't do something like this without reason.

"Oh, oh, what is it!?" Feliks couldn't contain his excitement at being able to find it. "I knew you would need me! If I hadn't come over, you may have never found it!" He audibly let out a noise of bewilderment. "Wait, wait, it's a diary!? Hmm . . . Well, let's open it and see!"

Toris obediently opened it, and flipped to the first page. It was a digital sheet? It was connected to the spine, where, now that Toris studied it closer, there was a slot for batteries. It also locked the rest of the contents. _SOLVE THIS RIDDLE: I am much older than any human, yet without me, humans cannot survive. I am overlooked, but I can be as strong as a diamond. I seem to become invisible when you try to look at me._ "Do you think that if we took out the batteries, it would open?" Feliks didn't really want to solve the riddle.

"Hmm . . . maybe. I need to go get a new screw, the one we have right now is too big. I'll be right back." Toris was a little relieved to get some fresh air away from the basement as he plodded up the steps.

"Pfft, don't be dimwitted. We don't even have to stay down here now that we've finished and found it, you realize that, right?" Feliks snorted.

Toris immediately brightened. "Oh, you're right! Ah, thankfully . . . I don't know how much longer I could have lasted down here . . ."

"God you're a coward." Despite Feliks saying this, Feliks had the exact same reaction to mayflies and mosquitoes, though with more screaming and violently flapping arms and less silent suffering.

"Ah, alright, alright, I get it." Toris held his hands up in surrender.

Feliks rolled his eyes at that. "You give up way too easily, you know that?"

"Conceding is better than arguing . . ."

"That's why you were bullied by Ivan when you were younger! And the worst part is that he didn't even _know_ he was bullying you, because you didn't speak up!"

"Don't be a hypocrite, Feliks. You never speak up for yourself either. It's come to the point where even I think I stand up for you more than you stand up for me." Toris regretted each word as it left his mouth, but his fear had left him a little snappy.

Feliks opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it as he realized he couldn't argue with what Toris said. The air between them became a little awkward, frustrated, and forlorn.

". . . I'm sorry . . ." Feliks mumbled grumpily.

"No, _I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't have said that, it was really rude. I'm sorry." _Great job, Toris, he might be one of your only friends._

"Whatever, let's just pretend that didn't happen." Feliks took the diary and seated himself on their plush couch, pristine, velvety soft, and a satisfying white. Though most people were a little annoyed at having to sleep on the couch, or at least saw it as a discomfort, it almost seemed like a punishment _not_ to sleep on the lovely sofa. Feliks stifled a tired yawn.

Toris returned with the smallest screw he had and took his place next to Feliks. "Alright, hold it still for me while I unscrew these bolts, okay?"

Feliks promptly nodded. Bending forward to steady the diary's spine by holding it as well, Toris unscrewed the bottom and let the batteries drop into his hand. "Okay, I've got it. Try to open it now."

Feliks bobbed his head and try to flip the digital page. Nothing happened, but they could both tell the lock was fastened tightly. It seems as if they would have to solve the riddle after all.

"Okay, let's start brainstorming then. Now that we've got the item, we don't have to rush it. I'll start making dinner. What do you like to eat, Feliks?"

"If you made a decent pierogi, I think I'd melt." Feliks hummed. He absolutely adored the dumplings.

"Do you know how to make them?" Toris was a little astonished.

"I think I know the basics, so all we have to do is look up the recipe to help my framework. There are a couple modifications I might make, but with my experience and your skill, they should turn out okay! You'll never beat my mom's, though." Feliks goaded him, in hopes that it would make him even more determined to make them well.

"I know, I know, but this is my first time, give me a chance!" Toris pleaded.

Feliks waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I know, but let's actually, like, make them, yeah?"

"Tell me the ingredients we need."

"I will in a second, but let me change back into my normal clothes. Things could get messy, and I'm not going to put this lovely gown into danger." He went to the bathroom and quickly slipped out of the dress, folding it and putting it in his backpack, then pulled on his normal clothes, coming back into the kitchen. Feliks got up onto the counter and sat on it, searching some recipes on his phone, scrolling around until he found a recipe that seemed to satisfy him. "Right. We'll need veal-"

"Veal!? I don't have any right now . . . I didn't know you had such a refined tongue."

"Hmph, well, I suppose that beef does just as well. You have that, right?"

"Oh, yes, I do." Toris sauntered over to the fridge, taking an apron off the hanger and tying it around his waist. He got beef and set it on a counter that stood in the middle of the kitchen with granite topping.

"Now get an onion and chop it." Toris opened the dishwasher and pulled out the chopping board, reaching down his thin fingers to withdraw a knife as well. Bending down to acquire an onion from his fridge's vegetable section, he placed it on the chopping board and, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to focus himself and get his hands and mind into the zone, they opened with a gaze like hard flint.

Clasping the handle securely, he minced the onion at an incredibly fast right, blinking the juices from his eyes as they watered up. Feliks took a look at it and gave a thumbs up.

"Groovy, I guess. A large egg beaten at room temperature?"

"Oh, it's been in the fridge, so let me take it out so I can let it adjust." Toris carefully balanced a large egg on the table.

"Do you have meat broth?"

"Er . . . I have chicken broth . . . ?"

"Eh, whatever, I'm sure it'll be okay. We didn't plan this, so I can't expect you to match everything perfectly. Where is it?"

"I have all the unrefrigerated things in the pantry. Is that all?"

"Just get some salt and pepper. A little dash of both will do nicely."

"Okay." Toris strided over to the pantry and opened the door, tucking the salt and pepper shakers in his right arm while getting up on the tops of his toes to grab the chicken broth. "We've got everything. Is the egg at about room temperature?"

"Pretty much. Put the meat and onions into a food processor and let them be grinded into a fine paste." Toris dumped them both in it and began to blend. Once they were a fine paste, he waited for the next instruction.

"Transfer them to a medium-sized bowl and crack the egg, then let it sink into the mixture. Once you've mixed those together, pour in the broth and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Once you've finished that, just make the dough and put in the filling in reasonable amounts." Toris got a bowl from the dishwasher, and, making sure to aim, cracked the egg neatly on the edge and poured its contents in. Tipping the food processor, he took a spoon and began scooping out the paste into the bowl, then using the spoon to combine them all together. Lastly, he took the chicken broth container and let the broth flow freely into the bowl until it was full.

"Feliks, can you please help as well? It'll be faster, and the faster we go, the quicker we can eat them."

Feliks considered it, and even though he would much prefer just lazing around on the counter, watching Toris cook, he decided to be generous. "Oh, alright. We need to make the dough now." In contrast to Toris' green apron, Feliks wrapped a red apron around himself.

"I'll do the cooking if you put in and provide me with the ingredients, deal?" Toris negotiated.

"Okay. Hm, so three eggs, an eight ounce container of sour cream, three cups of flour, ¼ a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of baking powder." Feliks had visited Toris' house often, so he basically knew where to find everything. He put the phone in the vision of Toris so he could look over to check the directions while making the dough.

"Beat together the eggs and sour cream until they're smooth . . ." He took his beater and began to briskly whip the two until they smoothly fit together. "Oh, sifting is next . . . I'm not the best at that." Toris hesitantly picked up a sifter.

Feliks poured the flour, salt, and baking powder into the sifter and, holding Toris' arm to help him shake it properly, they shook it and let the little particles fall into the smooth mixture. Toris glanced at the instructions and stirred it up into a sturdy dough.

"We've got it into a dough, so now we should knead it. Can you spread some flour across the board? Just a little."

"Like this?" Feliks jerked the flour bag a little, letting some flour spread across the board.

"Perfect! That way, it won't stick to the board too much. Let's work on it together." The two stood side by side, kneading the dough methodically, in sync with each other.

"So, how's your family, Feliks?"

"Nice as always.^^ It was so funny, yesterday they were fighting over which one of them loved the other more. I hope I find someone like that someday." Feliks muttered dreamily.

"Ah, so you're looking for 'the one'?"

"Aren't you?"

"I mean . . . it'd be nice, but . . . I don't know if that kind of thing is . . . actually obtainable. I still hope for it, though."

"Well, let's hope together! When we get a crush, we should tell each other so that we can help each other out."

"Oh . . . okay."

"Promise?"

"Sure."

"Then swear it with your pinky." Feliks giggled and wiggled his pinky finger.

"What? We did those kinds of things when we were kids but-"

"Come on, please? Just humor me."

"Um . . . alright then." They linked pinkies. "I promise."

"Ah, looks like we're done. Now we just need to cut them up into dumpling shells and put in the meat, then we can boil them."

"Mm . . . yeah . . ."

"Feliks, are you tired?"

"Eh? No . . . not really . . ." He drawled, blinking his eyes to stay awake.

"We'll get them baked and then you can take a nap while we wait, okay?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Toris . . . !"

"Everyone gets tired sometimes. I bet you stayed up doing your homework again, didn't you?"

". . . Maybe . . ."

"Feliks, you are sleeping."

As they finished the preparations on the pierogies and put them in the oven, the two sat on the couch, relaxing. After not very long, Toris felt a head lying on his shoulder, breathing deeply. Trying to dismiss his embarrassed blush, Toris distracted himself by taking in the scenery outside.

". . . The one, huh?"

/Thank you for reading this chapter! So, what do you think the answer to the riddle is? I tried my best to make this one longer than usual to accommodate for last week's short chapter, though I hope to make chapters as long as this in the future as well. I'm so happy that you came by. If you are willing to support this story, please follow or favorite, it's greatly appreciated. Reviews are definitely appreciated for my mistakes, for what I can improve and work on, for suggestions,(which I will credit you for if I use it) or whatever you want to say. Updates will most likely be every Friday, in the United States, and if there will be a delay, I will mention it. Once again, thank you for reading this! ~Azul


	6. Chapter 6

An hour later, Feliks shuddered and groaned quietly, opening his green eyes and trying to take in the blurry world in front of him. He blinked rapidly, trying to get the sleepy tears out of his eyes, and wiped them on the convenient sleeve draped on him. Wait . . . sleeve? He had been wearing a t-shirt . . . He realized that there was a soft pink sweater on his shoulders. He smelled it, and somehow, it was familiar. He closed his eyes, trying to envision when he saw it before.

It came to him. It was a freezing and snowy winter day. Feliks and Toris had been around 7.

 _Feliks sniffed, brushing the bangs from his eyes. Toris walked next to him patiently, smiling down comfortingly. Feliks looked up at him with dull green eyes, filled up to the brim with tears. "Shhh . . . Feliks, it's okay."_

" _No, it isn't! Y-You . . . You got hurt for me!"_

 _Toris rubbed the wet cloth their school nurse have given him on his cheek. "It's fine, it's fine. Somebody had to say something."_

" _But you didn't just say something, you stopped them from hitting me, and they hit you instead!"_

" _Maybe I just got tired of seeing them beat you up on the playground all the time." Toris shrugged, shouldering it off like it wasn't that big of a deal, but shivered in the cold._

 _Feliks noticed that Toris was only wearing a simple t-shirt. He hadn't brought a jacket. "Here. It's the least I can do." Feliks took off his sweater, still wearing a long-sleeved dress with pants underneath, and gave it to Toris._

" _W-What? No, I can't accept this, you'll be cold too."_

" _I'm wearing long sleeves. It's fine. It's a thank you for what you did for me." Feliks smiled, and Toris couldn't argue with it._

" _I . . . alright then." Toris put it on, and they started walking once again, though Feliks wasn't crying, rather staring straight ahead, marching like a soldier. They eventually reached Toris' house._

" _Thank you! I'll return it to you soon!" Toris waved as his mother ushered him inside, smiling politely at Feliks as she spotted them._

" _Okay! See you!" Feliks waved and then ran off, nervous now that he was alone without company._

* * *

"Wow. That was from a long time ago, wasn't it . . . ?" Blushing, Feliks realized his head was leaning on Toris' shoulder. Toris had fallen asleep from boredom, as he didn't want to move and risk waking Feliks up. Feliks stared straight ahead, fanning his face. It felt hot. Eventually, he got bored, and began shaking Toris. "Hey, wake up! We need to solve your mom's mystery, right? Hey! Hey!"

"Mmm . . . five more minutes . . ."

"It's been an hour! Come on already! Our pierogies will burn!"

His eyes shot open at that. "Okay, I'm up-!" Toris rushed to the oven, slipping on oven mitts quickly, and pulled the pierogies out. They were hit with the wonderfully strong smell that Feliks was so familiar with. The pierogies were a bit darker than they should have been, but they weren't burnt, much to Toris and Feliks' relief. Toris began putting them on a plate, and after waiting for them to cool a bit, they went to the dining table, the diary in Toris' hand, and sat down, quizzing over the diary's riddle while eating the pierogies like snacks, despite them being their dinner.

"Mmm, we did a pretty good job! I'm surprised, but hey, I'm not complaining!" Feliks shoved another in his mouth, crunching on it loudly. "Also, why do you still have my sweater?"

"Ah, I always forgot to give it back to you, but while I was sitting there, twiddling my thumbs, I saw it hanging on a nearby chair, and finally remembered. I'm really sorry it took me so long to return it; it's too small for you to wear it, now . . ."

"Eh, it's fine. Let's just focus on the riddle."

 _SOLVE THIS RIDDLE: I am much older than any human, yet without me, humans cannot survive. I am overlooked, but I can be as strong as a diamond. I seem to become invisible when you try to look at me._

"Let's think . . . What would it be . . ."

"How about water?"

"Huh . . . Yeah, H20 is quite old, and we need to drink water. I guess some people aren't grateful enough for water, and maybe an intense water pressure could make it stronger than diamonds . . . ? And water doesn't actually have a specific color, it's clear! Let's put it in." Toris excitedly dialed in 'water'. The digital sheet made a disapproving noise, turning red and vetoing the answer.

"What? It's not water? WHY NOT!? I, like, thought that was a super smart answer!"

"It wasn't a bad answer, it seemed to work . . . Could it be air? Air is about as old as water, and we need to breath oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide to live. Air pressure can be quite an issue . . . and air is clear."

"Sounds great! Let's try it!" Feliks, though a little salty about being wrong, felt a bit more confident about Toris' answer, and typed it in. It was incorrect as well.

"No . . . ? Then what . . . Knowledge? I mean, knowledge has been spread back through many ages, and without common sense, we can end up in a situation that is life-threatening . . . We can't see knowledge, because it's all on your mind, and figuratively, knowledge can be strong like a diamond." He keyed it in, and sighed in a defeated manner when it was wrong.

"Ugh . . . what could it be . . ." Feliks ate another pierogi. Who could blame him; they tasted delicious, and you need glucose for your brain to function! And he tended to eat more when he was nervous.

They puzzled over this for hours, bringing up suggestions that bore no fruit. They couldn't tell what it was, and Toris, though remaining calm, seemed irritated, frustrated that there was something he couldn't solve. Feliks decided to change into his pajamas, so Toris just got into something comfortable enough to sleep in, and they sat on Toris' bed, exchanging small talk, the riddle still in their minds.

"Hey, can I do your hair? I feel like I can think better if my hands are working on something."

"Mmhmm, sure!"

"Alright. How would you like me to do it?"

"Hmm . . . a tiny ponytail with a French braid would be really nice . . ."

"Okay, I think I can do that. Did you bring a comb with you?"

"You know I always do." Feliks bent down and dived into his backpack, pulling out a comb.

"Alright then." Toris hummed some tune from a song whose title he had forgotten long ago, and combed through Feliks' golden locks, fighting against the tangles until his locks flowed down nice and straight, soft to touch. He sometimes combed Feliks' hair with his own fingers, trying to make the hair a bit fluffier and easy to manipulate. He tried to separate the hair evenly, so that the French braid would look as natural and well-done as he could make it.

"Maybe we should think more literally; what's something no one would ever think the answer to a riddle would be?"

"Hmm . . ." ' _Something no one would ever think a riddle would be . . .'_ Toris pondered on this, and his mind floundered as he tried to figure out what that could be, his fingers braiding Feliks' hair as if he were trying to solve a puzzle with grace. Finally, Feliks suggested something that immediately got Toris' gears turning in anticipation and thought.

"What if . . . it was related to science? You always talked about how your mom liked it, right? She also liked surprises."

Toris nodded and began to think about the elements. What element fit the bill? With a tentative response, he asked Feliks, "Do you think . . . it could be carbon?"

 _/Hey guys, Azul here!^^ Thanks for reading another chapter. I'm so sorry for updating this a week late, I had no time to write last week because of the Finals . . . But hey, at least I got over 90 for each of them, so that's nice! Summer's approaching quickly, and then I'll hopefully have more time to update every Friday, as I have promised, and slowly extend the chapter's length. I'm dissatisfied with how short they are, and it must look unprofessional for the chapters to be so short, haha . . . Well, um, anyways, if you'd like to, favorites and follows are always greatly appreciated and fill me with glee. I love reviews even more, because it either helps me see my awful writing in a more positive light, gives me suggestions for the story that could save me from a future writer's block, or gives me suggestions for other stories that I could either work on in the future, when I'm finished with this one, or work on as another story to balance on my schedule, now that I have too much time on my hands. Thanks again, I'm really touched that there are actually people wasting their time to read my awful story.^^_


	7. Chapter 7

"Carbon, carbon . . . That kinda makes sense! Because the naked human eye can't see carbon, and diamonds are see-through! Plus, carbon can become diamonds! And we have carbon in our bodies . . . Oh, if it is carbon, your mom's pretty clever!" Feliks exclaimed delightedly, despite the fact that Toris had been the one to make the preposition.

"If it's not carbon, I swear that I will completely freak out . . ." Toris entered it and crossed his fingers as it verified the answer. It was as if time was going in slow motion. Then, to Toris' great relief, it turned green and made a sound full of joy. A face popped up on the screen. His mother . . . ?

"Ah, Toris, you did it!" That joyful smile, those green eyes that liked to change colors . . . They were currently a bright parakeet. Her expression was full of warmth, yet sadness flamed in her eyes. "But if you did, that means that my time was up a while ago. In that case . . . I'm sorry. I wanted to spend more time with you. I wanted to meet the boy or girl that you were going to bring home one day. I wanted to see you graduate, I wanted to go to your wedding, I wanted to do so much more . . ." Her voice trembled along with her lip, and tears started welling up in her eyes. She whispered to herself, "No, be strong, be strong . . ."

Toris' mother cleared her throat, looked straight into his eyes, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Toris! Don't be upset over my death. I'm still here for you, do you understand? I'm always going to be here for you. So keep your eyes up to the sun, and smile. I'm so proud of you, you must be so smart to have figured it out. I love you." The screen went dark, and the lock came undone. Toris turned to the first page, which had some sort of code on it. Toris studied it for a moment. "What is this . . . ?"

"Ehhh? What's the code for? More shenanigans . . . Hm." Feliks ate the last pierogi with a satisfied swallow, then tapped his chin. "You don't suppose that's _also_ in the basement, do you?"

"Where else would it be? Ugh, my mom knew I was deathly afraid of basements, why would she put everything there . . ." Toris groaned.

"I mean, it's a secretive place, so it, like, makes sense. Come on, let's go check down there first." Feliks plodded over to the door, humming and dragging Toris, and then skipped down the steps. He must have been used to this by now.

"Ah, alright, okay . . ." Toris let himself be pulled down into the basement once more.

"So so so, where could it be?" Feliks did a strange sort of walking that was almost like dancing, somewhere in that strange gray area in between.

"I'm not allowed to hope that it's somewhere easy to spot, am I? She's going to make this so complicated ugh-"

"Hey hey hey, I, like, see this thing that could be the device we should put the code in." Feliks pointed out a silver digital square stuck to the wall, the keys basically begging to have their buttons pressed. It had always been there, but Toris had never cared to take much notice of the small object until now.

Toris blinked slowly, his actions impaired by the clear shock of the good fortune they had ended up having. He hardly dared to believe it. Maybe his mother was finally going to find it in her heart to cut them some slack and stop making things difficult. Over three years of searching could certainly be seen as overkill, though perhaps his mom had thought him to be smarter than that, and would have found her secret sooner.

Toris' heart was gripped by the icy claws of nostalgia, and his entire body was aflame with the desire and longing for the simpler, happier days. When his father could still manage to form his stone hard lips into a smile upon his stoic face. When his mother would wrap her arms around both of them, husband and son, and smile wide for the camera, the ends stretched as she did her best to show her pearly whites-well, not exactly, they were actually a little yellow sometimes when she was lazy-to make the perfect family photo, which they would frame in a solid black case and hang on the wall proudly, presenting it for all who wished to see their happy family.

"Earth to Toris! The aliens have contacted the sun, and like, confirmed that your mind is on something else other than what we're trying to do." Feliks seemed to be expectant that Toris would be the one to use the code his mother provided, since the treasure and such was intended for his use.

"Right . . ." Toris trailed off, his mind glazing over as he numbly put in the series of numbers and letters. Everything had gone a little blank for him, and though he knew it was the natural reaction to act surprised at the door that seemed to open up for him in invitation, and the clapping of amazement from Feliks that had followed it, Toris couldn't help but feel as if by stepping over that simple line in between the basement and this mysterious place, he would be going onto a path where there was no turning back. If he was to go in now, he would finally get the answers to his questions that had been the key to his worries for over three years.

Feliks seemed to have sensed his solemn air, and offered him a comforting hand that gripped his shoulder firmly, as if steadying him, in both mind and body. Toris appreciated it greatly and tipped his head to snuggle the arm with his cheek. "You're right. Thanks, Feliks. We'll go in together?"

"Together."

Toris thought about how perfectly his mother had to have made that door fit so that it blended perfectly with the rest of the wall. He would have to look back on it and marvel over his mother's efforts a little later. Toris felt the urge and obligation to flip to his mother's first page, where her familiar and messy cursive scrawl awaited him, as if it had been lying in wait, coiled like a spring, to bounce up and astonish him.

"Room 1: My bedroom." Toris read aloud, surveying the room with an edgy ease. He felt calm, yet completely helpless in the clutches of anticipation and confusion. Why would she live down here?

 _Hello, Toris! Welcome to my bedroom! Or, at least, my old one. Cool, right? A bit confusing? I'll explain. I lived in a family of four. That's why we have your bedroom, your father and I's bedroom, and the guest room. Those used to be my parents' bedrooms, my sister's bedroom, and my brother's bedroom. I was initially supposed to share a room with my sister, but she always got mad at me and yelled at me. She was much more irritable towards me. I was around 8, and she was around 14. My parents tried to reason with her, even threatening to take away her devices if she refused, but I eventually said that it wasn't worth it._

 _They looked around and were incredibly relieved to find a spare bedroom in the basement. We had a different door then, because we had nothing to hide. They felt a little bad to ask me to sleep there rather than upstairs with everyone else, but I didn't care. I like basements; they always have this strange familiar feeling in the air, making me wonder what kinds of memories people have made there years ago, whether it was a group of teenagers playing around with a board, trying to summon a ghost, or where all of the old people of the family would sit down there and exchange stories out of the ear shots of those who would be embarrassed by them. I love basements, and I was so sad when I found out you were scared of them, but if you're here now, you must have conquered those fears to some degree. I know the first room is boring, but I promise it becomes a lot more interesting, trust me!_

Toris and Feliks, now with the understanding of the meaning of the room, went over to her bed, which was a generous-sized, extremely plush mint-colored bed, and sank down into it, taking in the cozy atmosphere of the room. The smell was extremely faint, but they could slightly pick up the scent of warm cinnamon and sweet daisies. The walls that surrounded them were white, and brought to life with the colors of lots of drawings, all made with markers, it looked like.

Papers were sprawled across the floor, 'Dalia Laurinitis' written in different styles, from the messy cursive scrawl present in the diary in Toris' hands, to her name written as if it were a drawing she was sketching, all the way down to a font that made Toris facepalm and Feliks burst into laughter, for there was no mistaking that it was doing its best to mimic the style of Comic Sans. A lonely nightstand with a broken lamp sitting atop it was tucked in the corner, a couple of books stuffed messily in its drawers. The one thing Toris could find organized about this room was the neatly arranged collection of writing utensils; colored pencils, mechanical pencils with bodies of many colors, markers, pens, and sharpies.

Feliks whistled. "Never thought I'd see into the mind of a younger Dalia right before my eyes. I must say, her taste in beds is great. Have you felt how soft this is? I bet all of your soft furniture was her doing. What if we slept in this bed tonight? The couch is nice, but this bed is somehow even softer, and I'm quite sure it's better than yours. There's space for both of us!"

"It's kind of weird to sleep in the bed of my dead mother. And if my father comes home tonight and doesn't find me in my bedroom, what's going to happen then?" The fact that this could be romantic didn't even cross Toris' mind.

"Then ask him if he'll be home by tonight." Toris almost protested, but was quickly shut up by the pleading kitten eyes that greeted him when he looked over to Feliks. After texting his father the question, using the pierogies as the excuse for why he was asking, his father said that he must have been not getting enough sleep, as he had already told Toris yesterday that his work called for him to go on another business trip. Toris quickly apologized and then put his phone on sleep mode.

"Fine . . . We can sleep here tonight."

* * *

Feliks woke up in cold sweat, his throat feeling raw from all the screaming it had let loose in his dream. Trying to settle himself down and stabilize his breathing, he stared at the back of Toris' head, repeating over and over to himself that it was only a dream. The movements Feliks had made must have woken Toris up, for he turned over to Feliks, brow creased, "Feliks, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing. Just a . . . a stupid nightmare was . . . was all." Feliks stumbled over his words as he had stumbled over his feet in his dream. "The same nightmare I've been having for many nights . . ."

"Can I help you in any way?" Toris' tone was soft and caring, soothing and calming Feliks down with each silky word.

"Just . . . turn back around." Toris did as told. After a moment of hesitation, Feliks hugged Toris from behind and nuzzled his hair with his face.

". . . Feliks?"

"I was freezing in my dream." He snuggled Toris' hair again. "I like this smell . . ."

"What does it smell like?"

He mumbled something that was distorted and muffled by Toris' hair. His breathing slowed, and he seemed much more at peace than he had been just a little while ago. Toris eventually sighed, and whispered with a small smile, "Goodnight, Feliks."

When he was sure that Toris was asleep, Feliks murmured in a voice much softer and quieter than a whisper, ". . . It's warm."

 _/Hey guys, Azul here!^^ Thanks for reading another chapter. Summer's here now, and then I'll hopefully have more time to update every Friday, as I have promised, and extend the chapters' lengths much more. I'm dissatisfied with how short they have been, but I think I'm actually satisfied and happy with this week's' one! Well, um, anyways, if you'd like to, favorites and follows are always greatly appreciated and fill me with glee. I love reviews even more, because it either helps me see my awful writing in a more positive light, gives me suggestions for the story that could save me from a future writer's block, or gives me suggestions for other stories that I could either work on in the future, when I'm finished with this one, or work on as another story to balance on my schedule, now that I have too much time on my hands. Thanks again, I'm really touched that there are actually people wasting their time to read my awful story.^^_


	8. Chapter 8

/Aaa, honestly, guys, your reviews are the things that keep me writing and loving this story, I couldn't do it without you guys!^^ So thank you to all who reviewed!

Toris' eyes opened slowly. It was so hot . . . Sitting up carefully to prevent Feliks from waking up due to him, Toris pulled off his shirt and fanned himself. He was getting really sweaty . . . His clammy hands reached backwards to touch his back, and winced a little. They, his bruises, still hurt a bit. Toris, as carefully and quietly as he could, slid off the bed and crept over to the bathroom. Turning his back to the mirror and looking as best as he could at his reflection, he gave a small sigh, though he himself wasn't sure if it was relief or unhappiness. The bruises were healing okay, but it wasn't going as steadily and quickly as it used to. Perhaps his battered back really needed a break from having to always rinse and repeat in this vicious cycle. Maybe a shower would make him feel better. He rushed out of the basement and climbed upstairs.

Once he had taken off his clothes and gotten in the shower, Toris felt a relaxing feeling come over him. He had turned up the AC so that he would be able to enjoy the lulling feeling of hot water sprinkling down on him without overheating. The shampoo helped his hair feel much cleaner, as he had felt 'dirty' earlier, and the conditioner brought it back to a nice softness that even Feliks couldn't complain about. Then the body wash soothed the rough spots on his skin, and it absolutely made his back want to dance in the sensational and smooth touch of it that was slathered across his back.

"Ah . . . That's the best way to relieve it." Toris stepped out of the shower, making sure to put his feet on the towel he had set out to make sure he didn't trail any water on the floor. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then began blow drying his hair. It had become fluffy and soft to touch, and he quite enjoyed blasting the hot air through his wet locks. He froze when he saw Feliks in the doorway. He hadn't heard him approach because the hairdryer had been too loud, and he had been facing the wall, so he couldn't spot him either.

Feliks almost greeted him with a cheerful wave until his eyes fell upon the various discolorations spotting Toris' back. Feliks kind of had to go to the bathroom, but that was kind of past the point. "Toris . . ." Feliks couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What happened?" His green eyes were filled with horror, shock, and worst of all, pain. Pain from seeing his sweet friend, who he just knew couldn't have done anything to deserve this, with such injuries marking his back.

"Ah, Feliks, Feliks, it's fine, don't worry! It's not as bad as it looks, promise! And besides, I deserved it." Toris was quick to try to cover it up. He didn't want anyone to know about what was going on with his life. His dad wasn't even a bad person, he just . . . he lost control of his emotions sometimes. Everyone makes mistakes. There's nothing wrong with that.

"If you tell me not to worry, I am going to worry!" Feliks exclaimed angrily. "What happened to you? Who did this?" Feliks couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wanted to yell more, but instead, he just bit his lip and turned his head the other way. He didn't want to look at them. He didn't want to eye those bruises and think about just how distant Toris seemed to be floating. What if it came to a point where he just completely lost him? Where he couldn't do anything to pull him out of the waters that he was slowly drowning in? The thought terrified Feliks.

"Feliks, it doesn't matter, I'm fine!" Toris countered. He began drying himself off at a faster pace than before, slipping his clothes on as if hoping that if he covered up the subject at hand, then they would be able to move on from it quicker than if he didn't. "It's in the past, it was just a couple bullies who were looking for some prey to pick on."

"That isn't the truth. You're awful at lying." Feliks' eyes hardened, and when he turned back to Toris, his expression was one of the most serious Toris had ever seen on his soft features. "Why can't you just tell me? I've been your friend for the longest time! Why can't you just trust me on this?" Feliks bombarded Toris with these questions, hoping that if he kept asking, he would eventually get the answer he wanted out of Toris.

"Feliks, I . . . I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it, okay?" Toris tried for a smile. He had been trying his hardest to get his mind off it, but the more he tried to push it away from his mind, the more it just came right back, making itself a frequent guest. His back began to ache as the memories of it emerged from the murky waters of his mind, and he covered his face with his hand, trying to drown them.

"Toris." Feliks made his voice sink into a softer, kinder tone. "Let's go back down to the bedroom. Tell me there. I want to help, but I can't help you if you don't tell me anything, and you're clearly uncomfortable here." After a moment of hesitation, Toris nodded and allowed Feliks to lead him down to his mother's bedroom, where they settled down on the mattress.

"I'll be right back. I gotta zoom to the bathroom-" Feliks went back up, and came right back down as quickly as he could.

"It's nothing . . . It's nothing that big, I . . . I just . . ." Toris sighed deeply, pressing his fingers to his temples. How would he say it in a way that didn't seem bad? Feliks freaked out easily . . . "I did something to make my father mad, so he hit me." He let out swiftly, not wanting to go into detail. That one sentence still seemed to upset Feliks, so Toris knew he shouldn't say much more.

However . . . "Go on. Tell me the whole thing. I want to know what happens." Determination bloomed in Feliks' eyes, burning. Even if he hated knowing how badly Toris was hurt, he needed to know the entirety of the memory, or else he'd never be able to understand it completely and never have clear feelings and emotions for about what Toris had to go through. He wanted to help, and he couldn't help with what he knew now.

"Are . . . are you sure you want to know about it, Feliks? I-If I do say, I'll . . . I'll probably trail off and . . . and stutter, or mumble sometimes, or . . ."

"I don't care how well or awfully you tell the story. I just want to help you the best I can; We're friends, and if I'm a real friend, deserving of your time, then I can and should do the best I can for you. Tell it to me through your eyes."

Toris beamed a little at that. Wow . . . It felt kind of . . . nice, knowing that someone cared so much. "O . . . Okay. Well, one day, dad came home. I went to greet him, a vase in my hands, as I was trying to move it somewhere else where it was sunnier for the flowers growing in it, and I froze up. He smelled like beer, and I knew from his slow movements and slightly lolling head that he must be drunk."

"He said in a low, growling voice, 'Hey! Boy!' He sounded really angry, and in fear and a kneejerk kind of reaction, I . . . I dropped the vase, and it shattered on the floor. The flowers . . . they . . . they were just sprawled a-across the floor, and the dirt was strewn everywhere. I . . . I looked up at him and . . . I . . . I tried to apologize, but . . . the damage . . . it was already done, a-and it was . . . it was his mother's favorite vase."

"So he got really, really infuriated. He y-yelled a lot, and he ended up throwing me against a wall and beating me. It really . . . It really hurt . . ." Little orbs of tears started falling from his face, and he covered his eyes with his hands to attempt to contain his emotions. "And God, Feliks it . . . it hurt . . . A-And not only because he was kicking me, but because . . . because he's my father . . ." His voice broke into quiet sobs. Feliks lightly touched Toris' back, hoping it wasn't a spot with a bruise. "And t-that's only one of the times he . . . I'm sorry, I'm being such a child, aren't I?"

"Shh . . . I understand. I'm sorry for making you tell me." Feliks embraced Toris gently, fitting his chin snugly in the crook of his neck. "Don't try to think about it anymore. Just relax." Each word he played like a card, aiming on soothing and comforting. "Just calm down. I'm here, he isn't. I won't hurt you."

* * *

After a little while, Toris went silent and inhaled shakily. "Thanks, Feliks. I'd been holding that in for a long time, and . . ." He picked at something on the bed that bothered him, "I feel a lot better now that I've been able to let it all out . . . So thank you." Toris hadn't cried like that in the longest time. It was pretty embarrassing, but at the same time, it was mildly refreshing; it was kind of nice to be able to have a shoulder to cry on.

"Of course, Toris. That's my job as a friend, isn't it? And it's a job I intend to keep for the rest of my life." Feliks breathed softly, his kind words making Toris' heart do a little skip and dance. Toris grinned, feeling as if sweet and soothing honey was trickling down and trying to subdue the wheezing smoke that was hurting his heart. "You're my honey." Toris whispered.

Feliks, unknowing of the context, turned crimson. "W-What!?" He stuttered, caught completely off guard. Toris scratched the back of his neck. He must have sounded like one of those guys from those cheesy romance movies his mom would watch and completely burst into laughter at. "Ah, sorry, that must have sounded weird! I meant 'You're my honey' as in, you help my pain be taken away with your sweetness?" Toris wasn't sure how to explain it in a way Feliks would accept.

"No, I . . . I kind of get what you mean." A bud. A tiny bud formed from hope and a little sweet feeling neither of them could explain was planted in each of their hearts. A little something that had always been there, but that hadn't been noticeable until now. Feliks coughed into his arm, wondering if he was getting a fever. Toris stared down at his feet, trying to understand this feeling rocking his heart back and forth.

/Hey guys, Azul here!^^ Thanks for reading another chapter. Summer's here now, and then I'll hopefully have more time to update every Friday, as I have promised, and extend the chapters' lengths much more. I'm dissatisfied with how short they have been, but I think I'm actually satisfied and happy with this week's' one! Well, um, anyways, if you'd like to, favorites and follows are always greatly appreciated and fill me with glee. I love reviews even more, because it either helps me see my awful writing in a more positive light, gives me suggestions for the story that could save me from a future writer's block, or gives me suggestions for other stories that I could either work on in the future, when I'm finished with this one, or work on as another story to balance on my schedule, now that I have too much time on my hands. Thanks again, I'm really touched that there are actually people wasting their time to read my awful story.^^ Ah, I know that I had planned to write another Hetalia story, but Haikyuu is so tempting . . .;;

/I'm so sorry for what happened, my computer must have glitched and done this to the chapter, I am really, really sorry!


	9. Chapter 9

"We don't know how long your mom has planned this, or what everything here means, so . . . how about a page and a room a day?" Feliks laid on his back on Dalia's bed, staring up at the light-colored ceiling.

"What? But . . ." Toris protested, looking down at Feliks, as he was sitting up.

"I know you want all of the answers right away, and I know that there's always a risk that your father will find out, but . . . the cake always tastes better when you eat slowly, right? If you gobble it all up at once, then sure, it'll still taste nice, but you wouldn't have been able to enjoy all of the flavors, and let it all sink in."

"You're more of a poet than I initially thought . . ." Toris mused, slipping off of the bed, his feet hitting the floor with a quiet creak. "But okay, I see what you mean. What should we do, then?"

"Why don't we go out to a cafe? We can grab a few coffees, and relax in the nice atmosphere for a bit, get some fresh air. How does that sound?" Feliks suggested, following after Toris as he made his way up the stairs.

"Alright then. I suppose you want me to drive, correct?" He turned his head to look back at Feliks with a knowing smile, pushing aside the swinging door with one hand while the other was occupied holding Feliks'.

"Of course. I'd rather be singing whatever's on the radio! I don't care about the road, and I kind of suck at driving, so we'd most likely get in a crash and die." Feliks scratched the back of his head sheepishly, smiling and accepting the scarf that Toris silently offered him with a comforted blush.

"That's what I thought. I hope my car's good enough for you, though it's more of my mom's than mine." Toris pressed the button on the car keys and unlocked the doors, opening the shotgun door for Feliks with a polite grin.

"You have too much of your mom's stuff." He slid into his seat and remarked, "My, my, Toris, what a gentleman~!" His mocking laughter filled the car as Toris took his seat as well.

"Anything for the lady of the evening . . . though it's still morning." Toris flushed after saying that. Smooth as butter, Toris . . .

Feliks wanted to scream. Was Toris flirting awfully with him, or was he just overthinking things!? "Of course, dear sir. Escort me well, my prince." Feliks flirted back, regret spilling into his mind and drowning his thoughts.

Toris cleared his throat, red still dusting his cheeks, and, to save himself from doing anything further that he might regret later on, he switched on his favorite radio channel, turned on the heat, and turned the wheel. Feliks brightened when he recognized the song, 'If I Die Young,' and though his voice was lower, and he wasn't able to reach all of the high notes that Kimberly Perry could, it was a soft and pretty male version.

Feliks beamed contently when the small smile on Toris' face signaled to him that Toris enjoyed his singing. 'Fireflies' came on, but as Feliks was about to open his mouth and sing, another sweet voice graced his ears. Toris . . . They had stopped at a red light, waiting for the red light to switch and flash green. His steady and flowing voice was a lovely compliment that mixed well with Adam Young's voice. Toris continued to drive, but didn't end his singing. It was a song that he had been charmed by and fallen in love with the second he had listened to it.

Feliks simply stared at Toris in shock, not knowing he was the singing type of person. If Feliks had known that this was how Toris sounded, he would have begged him to sing for him all the time. Feliks glanced out the window, too in awe and admiration to desire to make eye contact, and felt a warm, tingling feeling wrap around him as Toris' gentle voice blended with the familiar and nostalgic background. Feliks had driven down this path many times with his parents, and had good memories that came from the places this road had taken him.

The song came to an end, and Toris felt eyes on him. He looked at Feliks, who had ceased gazing out of the window and instead started watching Toris, and turned red with embarrassment. "Ah . . . You weren't supposed to hear that, I hate singing in front of other people . . . ! I guess it was . . . just on impulse? Hhh . . . I know I sound horrible-"

"You don't!" Feliks exclaimed, his green eyes sparkling with glee. "Toris, you sounded, like, super duper amazing! That was so pretty! Why do you feel so embarrassed singing in front of others when you sound so good? Only people who suck at singing should feel that way. Though, pfft, I guess I can't talk, since I'm pretty bad at singing, yet I boldly sing anyways."

"That's not true, I like your singing." Toris reflected back to Feliks. It was annoying that people always felt the need to compare themselves to others, and this one wasn't even a reasonable comparison, since their styles of singing were completely different.

"That's only because you're nice to me." Feliks pointed out, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and peering at the road ahead, studying each car that dotted the street.

"No, I wouldn't say anything if I didn't think you sounded nice."

"Yes, you would! You're a nice guy, and you're always going to try to encourage people so that they'll feel confident in themselves and let themselves improve." Feliks closed his eyes and leaned his head on the seat.

"I would only do that to be polite with people I don't know well. But I wouldn't do that to you. I would offer criticisms and tell you how to improve." Toris wasn't actually sure if that's what he would have done if it wasn't that great, but nonetheless, he needed to counter Feliks in some way.

"Do you promise?" Feliks knew that Toris didn't often make promises he wouldn't keep. "That if you see anything wrong with what I'm doing, you'll say something?"

Toris hesitated, but nodded after a couple moments of thinking. If he ever needed to do so, he would sugarcoat it and put it very carefully so he didn't hurt Feliks' feelings. "I promise. I'll tell you if I notice something that I think you should fix."

"Good, then. Oh, we're here!" Once Toris had driven around, finding the closest parking spot to the cafe, they got out the car and strolled towards the cafe, conversing and pulling their scarves closer. It was a pretty cold morning, and it would be a relief for the both of them once they could relax in a toasty and cozy cafe, sipping hot coffees while looking outside.

"Hm, what should I get . . ." Feliks wrapped one hand around his chest, and rested the other on it, stroking his chin and considering his options.

Toris scanned over the options. "I think I'll get a cappuccino. That seems safe, and I don't think it's too strong." He wandered over to the counter, where the woman at the front regarded him kindly.

Feliks, though he knew it was a stupid thought, didn't want to be left behind, and chose his coffee quickly, walking swiftly after Toris to catch up without seeming too desperate.

"I'll have a cappuccino." Toris ordered, taking out his wallet and pulling out some cash. Feliks opened his mouth to put in his request, then turned scarlet when he realized he hadn't brought any money with him at all. Toris noticed this and exhaled through his nose in a slightly exasperated puff, though he wasn't really upset since Feliks tended to be forgetful. "Don't worry about it, I'll pay for you."

"Wait, are you sure?" Feliks objected.

"Yes, I'm sure. My treat." Toris offered with a warm smile.

"Ah, really-"

"Hey, couple, I understand you're in love and all, but can we just finish your order?" The woman joked, laughing a little. One of the coffee baristas making coffee behind the counter whispered, "Liina!" sharply.

"R-Right! Ahem, can I have um, like a mocha?" Feliks moved his arms awkwardly like a toy soldier, flustered and unsure how to respond to her.

"Alright then. Will that be all for you two?" Liina typed in his order and began to calculate the cost.

"Yes." Toris had never had his face burn more crimson than today.

"Alright then." She told them their final cost and took Toris' money, putting it in the machine and dropping the change into his hand. She told the other baristas what the two had requested, and they set to work immediately.

"Let's go find a table." Toris led Feliks to a coffee table next to a window. Feliks plopped into his seat, tapping his foot on the floor uncomfortably. What was he supposed to say after what that lady named Liina had teased them? He puffed out his cheeks in frustration, racking his brain for anything to talk about. Toris heard their names called and left. Another barista, who handed him the coffees, apologized for Liina, saying she was a bold and teasing person. Toris came back with the steaming hot cups and put Feliks' in front of him.

Toris sweat nervously and sipped his coffee, setting it down once it burned his tongue viciously. He took out his phone and played around with it a bit, then asked, "So, um . . . Hey, Feliks?"

"Yes?" Feliks checked his mocha and drank after deciding it wasn't too hot for him to handle.

"If you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you do?" Toris queried, toying with his burning tongue to see how it would react.

"That's a weird question . . . Why do you ask? And how did you even come up with the topic?" Feliks raised an eyebrow and crossed his legs, feeling more comfortable sitting in that position.

"I wasn't sure what to talk about, so I looked up random conversation starters on my phone." Toris admitted, scratching his head and then rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle.

Feliks soon followed in suit. "Haha, I see . . . Sounds like you. Well . . ." Feliks locked his fingers together, holding his hands and resting his chin on them. "I think that I would first want to know why I was dying. I wouldn't want to try to prevent it, I would just want to know why. It's inevitable, and there's no use in attempting to escape a fate that's unavoidable. If you asked me about a year ago, I probably would have been afraid of dying, and I'm still scared of it, but I wouldn't try to prevent it."

"Anyways, afterwards, I think I'd tell the person I like that I have feelings for them. I don't want to go to the grave regretting not telling them. Even if they tell me they don't feel the same way about me, I wouldn't feel any need to be nervous anymore. I'd be dead in 24 hours anyways. Either way, I'd ask for them to spend the day with me, whether it's on a date or just as friends. Then, and though I may sound selfish to them then, they'd understand later, I'd go with them and do the things that I've always wanted to do, without looking back, whether it's something as simple as buying something useless that's been in the back of my mind, or something like conquering my fears."

"I wouldn't tell them about my approaching demise, or they wouldn't enjoy the day. They'd just be sad, because we're close friends either way, whether we decide to date or not. I would want them to be happy spending time with me on my last 24 hours. I think I'd let myself sleep a little, but not very much. I wouldn't want to waste the time. But I'd want to spend my last moments with them, so I could tell them goodbye and say sorry." Feliks laughed, shrugging and looking down at the table with a rosiness in his cheeks. "That sounded cheesy, didn't it? If you couldn't already tell, I'm a hopeless romantic."

Toris shook his head, a soft smile on his face. "No, no. Don't feel embarrassed. To be honest with you . . . though it would be a little different, I think I would have liked that too. I would have done something similar."

"You really would?" Feliks tipped his head in wonder.

"Yeah, I would." Toris avoided his eyes, a small flush on his cheeks.

"Then we're more similar than I thought."

/Hey guys, Azul here!^^ So sorry for the week delay, whoever's reading, I was travelling!;; But thank you so much for reading. Well, um, anyways, if you'd like to, favorites and follows are always greatly appreciated and fill me with glee. I love reviews even more, because it either helps me see my awful writing in a more positive light, gives me suggestions for the story that could save me from a future writer's block, or gives me suggestions for other stories that I could either work on in the future, when I'm finished with this one, or work on as another story to balance on my schedule, now that I have too much time on my hands. Thanks again, I'm really touched that there are actually people wasting their time to read my story.^^


	10. Chapter 10

"So . . . now that we're done with our coffee, what do you want to do next?" Toris grinned, his green eyes flashing with the calmness and coziness this place provided.

"Hmm . . . Why don't we buy a book? You can read it to me." Feliks decided, since that seemed to be a romantic thing in stories, and, well, you had to drop hints for your crush somehow, right? ' _Ah . . . Did I just admit I have a crush on him? I mean, I know I do, but at the same time, I'm not sure . . . Plus, we're both guys . . . What will he think of me?'_

"Oh? Which book would that be? I never knew you liked to read." Toris guided Feliks to his car as they spoke, eyeing the road cautiously. When he was younger, he had clumsily tripped on the grey floor and scraped up his knees. He was unaware, since his pants covered his knees, but when he got home and was changing, he saw the dried blood and scratches. No wonder his knees had been stinging. He still didn't trust the road.

"It's not a huge story . . . More like a small one that's for children . . . Though, this one seems a little sad for them. The author's made many adventure stories that I like, but this was a short story they just thought of and wanted to write it down. They've got it all, though; they can write and they can draw. So they illustrated a small children's book on that subject. Somehow, it's somewhat popular among all ages."

"If it's a short story, then it can't be that expensive, so . . . that's fine by me. I'll buy it to thank you for helping me down there. Knowing myself, I probably would have only gone down there for five minutes a day before fleeing, and that wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. What is it called?"

"The book is called 'Little Sparrow.' Feliciano read it with a friend and cried, so it should be something of interest, right?"

Toris sweatdropped, and pointed out, "But doesn't almost everything make Feliciano cry . . . ? Maybe it isn't that sad. I actually hope it isn't too sad, I just read a mildly depressing novel that kept me up all night as I stared into the uncaring void of my mind. The main love interest died from his sickness at the end."

"Toris, why do you torture yourself with those sad novels? Whatever, we've got to go get it! Please, please, please?" Feliks begged him, grabbing his arm and staring up into Toris' eyes with his own. He looked like a little kitten meowing at its owner for attention in a squeaky, high-pitched tone that no one, at least, with a heart, could ultimately refuse.

"Feliks, I already agreed to it, you literally have no reason to beg me, haha. Any bookstore will be fine, right?" Toris and Feliks dropped into the car seats,Toris in the driver's seat, like before, but Feliks in the back this time, relaxing in a satisfied atmosphere after drinking stinging hot coffee that stuck to their tongues as they shivered in the freezing car. Once Toris had the engine started and began to drive, he turned up the heat, earning himself a pleasantly surprised gasp from Feliks.

The car ride to the bookstore, unlike the one to the coffee shop, was a little quiet. Though, it wasn't as if they didn't have much to say. Feliks was simply too busy enjoying the heat gracing his skin and dozing off a little, while Toris was consumed by other thoughts, his ears getting pink when he glanced to the back and saw the adorably snoozing Feliks.

Once they had arrived, Toris parked, checking his car's position multiple times to make sure he had driven in perfectly. Once he was sure it was up to his standards, Toris opened the car door for Feliks and shook him gently. "Feliks, we're at the bookstore. Come on, let's get up. You wanted that book, right?" Toris urged.

"Alright, Toris, I get it . . ." Feliks, lazy as always, allowed Toris to slightly pull him out of the car before standing on his own two feet, marching off to the bookstore with a hum. Toris opened the door for Feliks, but then stood there and held it for about ten more people who were coming in and leaving, much to Feliks' annoyance and impatience. He was tired of Toris being so nice to people all the time. It interrupted their schedule.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Feliks. Would it be in the kid's section?" Toris sweat as he caught sight of the irritated expression on Feliks' face. Feliks sighed and just nodded, trotting off to the kid's section, knowing Toris, as always, would follow. He found it on a shelf, while Toris stared at someone who looked to be a couple years older than him and Feliks, who was, just like Feliciano apparently had, reading 'Little Sparrow' and gushing out tears. It was hard to understand what they was blubbering, though Toris heard '-aru' ending all of his sentences.

"Ah, um . . . sir, what do you think of this book?" Toris needed to know what he was getting into. The man . . . or woman's eyes met his, full of tears. Then, as if they were close friends, he started bawling louder and smacking his head on Toris. If it weren't for all of the already screaming and crying children at the top of their lungs in this section, Toris was sure he'd stand out and maybe even be asked to lower his voice.

"The poor sparrow, aru . . . He's so cute and nice but he has to suffer so much, aru! But I do recommend it, so if you're buying it, just know that the sparrow will have to go through a lot, aru!" Toris turned blue with shock. He hoped this man was just emotional, but maybe he related to the sparrow somehow. It wasn't really Toris' business, and, with a surprised inhale, he stepped out of the way, apologizing, to the man's companion, who comforted him while the man yelled at him and tried to make him go away. Something was frighteningly familiar about the man's companion, and Toris began tugging on Feliks' sleeve.

"Feliks, do you have the book yet? We should hurry and go . . ." Feliks turned to him and raised an eyebrow, though, once he caught sight of the man's companion, he nodded swiftly, and the two of them left. As they were leaving, that man's voice greeted them, and they were both forcefully reminded of someone they had forgotten long ago,

"Ah, Feliks, Toris, da?^^ It's been a while, we should catch up sometime, da." That man turned out to be Ivan. They were both afraid of him, even though Feliks had attempted to pretend he wasn't. Toris bobbed his head stiffly. There wasn't anything too wrong with him, there was just . . . kind of intimidating about him. And he bullied Feliks and toris a bit when they were younger, even though he was unaware of it. They didn't wish to get too mixed up with him. Besides, he had a friend now, it seemed. _Though,_ Toris thought, _maybe it would be more fair if, he somehow contacts us, if we actually try to get to know him. We'll see._

"Yeah, sure, we can hang out sometime. Feliks, we'd better get home before the cooking burns. We'll see you two around!" Toris and Feliks skipped to the counter at the front of the bookstore and paid for the book. Toris gave a nervous smile and handed it to the shorter male before they bolted out of the bookstore and back into Toris' car.

* * *

"Are you comfortable enough?" Toris asked as Feliks laid his head in Toris' lap, his long blond locks spilled over Toris' legs as Feliks waited for Toris to start the story. Feliks gave a small nod and a yawn.

"Alright then. I'll start."

" _Once, there was a little sparrow. He was but a child, though he did not remember having parents to raise him. The sparrow was lonely, and lived in the forest for endless days. One day, he spotted a bunch of children playing together. They looked happy, and got along well. He wanted to be with them, so, he turned into a human to be with them, and they allowed him to play with them."_

" _They asked him how old he was, and he was unsure of how their human time operated, so he acted as if he was their age. And everyday, when they would come to the forest, he would play with them. He grew close to a girl in the group, and though he didn't know the word then, it was what one could express as 'love.' One day, he gave her a precious charm he loved very much, his only remnant of his mother, saying he cared about her as much as he cared of the charm. He never found time a concern; everything moved slower for him. He was unaware of the sins his parents had committed. Their relationship itself was one that was considered wrong in their world, and so, to punish them, the Gods punished their son."_

" _And so, he was forced to live forever. He didn't know of this, but began to notice one day as the kids started to grow taller than him, began to talk of different things, and soon, stopped visiting the forest altogether. He was sad, very, very sad. He missed them. He went into the nearby town, guessing they lived there. Years had passed like minutes to the sparrow, but he changed his appearance to be like theirs. His age ticked forward. But, he found he could not progress any further from 17."_

" _He could never become an adult, and as the girl he loved grew older and older, he stayed by her side, using aliases and lies, changing his appearance and deceiving her, feeling only guilt and longing. He was sad, very sad, as she became so old that he was one of the only people who still wished to speak to her, excusing himself as a young man who had lost a grandmother a while ago, whom he loved dearly. She gave him a charm, saying it was from a dear friend long ago, whom she had lost contact with foolishly as she grew older. It was the charm he gave her. She said he reminded her of him. That day, when he left, he cried, knowing her time was almost up. All of his friends began to fade as they disappeared with time. Soon, the only way he could see this girl was by visiting her grave. He cried, very, very much. So he tried again. He made friends. Over, and over again. And each time, as they would fade away, he would cry. Eventually, over the boundless sorrow, he flew."_

" _He escaped, far, far away. He took solitude over the sorrow, and lived alone, high in the mountains. Yet, he still suffered. He was cold. He was sad. He was hungry. He was often lost. But the worst of all was how lonely he was. At least, around others, he felt warmth and happiness, even though, by the end, it resulted in bitter farewells and tears. He tried to grow up, but he remained a child at heart, reaching out to try to grasp the old memories and glee he once felt."_

" _One day, a shadow passed and stole the charm, which was the only thing he had kept when he fled his old home. He pursued the shadow, angry, furious, and, most of all, regretful. The shadow eventually stopped, and turned into a girl. One that looked like the girl he once loved. He knew she was different, but he wanted to know what she wanted, so, taking the charm back from her, he heard her out."_

" _She stepped forward with a big smile. 'Are you like me, boy? Have you lived for decades, centuries in this world?' The sparrow was surprised, but nodded. 'I'm lonely. How are you so happy?' 'Because I'm done despairing. I was decades ago, but I couldn't find someone like me. So I have a proposal. Let's live in this world together, and help humans. They have shorter lives than us, so we should help them enjoy the time they have. Does that sound good?'"_

" _The little sparrow agreed. Anything to be around someone again. And so, throughout the years, they helped humans. They weeped. They matured. They took breaks for themselves, from the humans who slipped from their fingers so easily. It was a bittersweet life, but one that neither the shadow or the sparrow could regret. And, to this day, the little shadow and the little sparrow help humans, hand in hand, hoping each day, that they could come to appreciate humans a little more."_

Toris finished with a smile and a cocked head. He could accept that ending. There were some qualities of the book he would have tweaked a little, but the beautiful and lustrous illustrations easily saved this story from receiving too much disgrace from critics. A little sniff came from his lap. He looked down and saw Feliks with tears forming up in his eyes, in tiny, clear orbs, his nose pink. He puffed out his cheeks and cast his gaze elsewhere.

"Don't look at me. Don't make fun of me. I know it's stupid." Feliks whispered.

Toris beamed down at him comfortingly, and stroked his hair. "Shhh. I know a story like this would make you sad. But, at least it helped me with something." Feliks picked up at his phone, feeling it in his hands and wondering if he would regret what he suggested next.

"Hm? What's that?" Feliks sat up, reaching out to take a tissue and blow his nose. He hated that that dumb story made him cry, but, like Feliciano, he was overly emotional at times. Maybe Feliciano even had a bit of an influence on him.

"It told me . . . to appreciate the people around me more. To get to know them, because we don't know how much time they have left. And, though this kind of strays away from the story, it made me realize that simply judging someone by the way you see them, and the way they used to be is kind of . . . wrong, isn't it? Everyone changes and grows. So, hey, Feliks . . ." Toris got up and rummaged through the countless things in his drawers, and, with a relieved sigh, found what he had been searching for. He was surprised he hadn't thrown this out very long ago, but, he supposed, in the long run, it was best that he hadn't.

". . . What do you think about giving Ivan a little call?"

 _/Hey guys, Azul here!^^ So sorry for the_ _ **two**_ _week delay, whoever's reading, I was really busy on one of the weeks, and the other I was sick. Also, if this counts for anything, I have a minor writer's block right now. I hadn't actually planned to involve Ivan very much in this story at all, just to have him as a little memory in Feliks and Toris' past, but I decided to look more into Ivan and listen to White Flame since the nagging sense had been bothering me for a while, and I wanted to go over how I had shown him all those chapters ago, and show that he has changed over the years. And he needs more friends!;; Besides, I've always wanted a time for Toris and Ivan to just sit down and talk about how they feel without Toris just being too intimidated to give his honest opinion. But thank you so much for reading. Well, um, anyways, if you'd like to, favorites and follows are always greatly appreciated and fill me with glee. I love reviews even more, because it either helps me see my awful writing in a more positive light, or gives me suggestions for other stories that I could either work on in the future, when I'm finished with this one, or work on as another story to balance on my schedule, now that I have too much time on my hands. Thanks again, I'm really touched that there are actually people wasting their time to read my story.^^_


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